I have, like many people, been waiting a long time for nikon to replace the D300. My D80 is adequate for now, but i am due an upgrade, and want more performance. Yes a D300 will do but i love my technology6 and like to have the best i can afford! I have therefore been trying to find out more about the D300s with a view to purchasing one. I have however found the knowledge among the UK retailers to be severely lacking. I have visited 2 jessops stores and called their sales line and none of them could tell me if the camera has continuous AF while shooting video. The first jessops store told me the camera does not do video, the second that all DSLR video was manual focus only, and the sales hotline had no clue either. I have tried other Nikon retailers too and only Clifton Cameras could tell me that it has contrast detect AF during video shooting (and that was after they looked on the web).

I am horrified that Nikon have just released a new camera whose only significant benefit over its predecessor is video functionality, and then failed to educate its retailer network on how that functionality works. The attitude of the jessops sales staff has probably cost them a £1500 sale.

I may well buy a D300s but it is a big let down. Maybe this camera will be replaced in a hurry - there is very little hype over it (they are in stock in all the Retailers i've tried) which is strange for a Nikon product launch in this sector. Also Canon seem to be forcing Nikons hand with the release of the Eos 7D. The spec sheet for that makes the new Nikon look old. I am a Nikon devotee and have too much money in glass to change, but I like many others want a D400 sooner rather than later - this D300S seems very poor on the back of Canons announcement.

Actually I live in Canada and happens to be in Retail. I will be selling both and would be able to talk about most of the D300s features but would have less knowledge about the Canon 7D. Anyway I bet you if you called same stores their 7D knowledge would be lacking also.
Both Nikon and Canon provides hardly anything to inform us on new products, I surf online for product knowledge but some of my co-workers hardly at all.

Anyway a Sales Person is not a know it all computer but there to try to find out what your needs are and assist you in purchasing a camera that will work best for you. So please don't ask me wish camera shoots the best quality picture, which would I get, which has the most repair problems etc. I don't really know that Nikon is better, I would get a Nikon and have no fact to back that Canon has the most repairs, these would simply be bias opinions from a Nikon Fan

So either get the camera online or go to a store get the camera in your hands, get a fell for how it handles. Deal with a sales person that appears to have an interest in cameras. That person might not have all the answers but they are usually only a click away

Sounds like Best Buy. The salesperson that I spoke to knew nothing about cameras and sell them anyway. I walked out on them after they looked agitated when they needed to unlock the case to get to a D90. If you don't like my inquiries, then don't sell them. Simple enough. It's a shame Circuit City closed down, I visited them about a month before they went bust and it seemed like their camera section was more inviting than Best Buy's.

Guys, you cannot go to a chain store for that kind of information. I'm talking specifically about Best Buy here. The best information I've ever received from a sales person were in to one shop, family owned camera stores. Like the one I keep linking you guys to in San Diego. Stores like that are often opened by photographers who know their stuff. These stores tend to have almost everything or know how to get it or where you can go to get it. They often know a lot about certain brands and frequently have sales people from the different brand schools.

Stay away from the chain stores. There not interested in helping you, just making as many sales as possible. That's why they're a chain.

"gentoo - I have to disagree with You, if You know what You want than sometimes chain-store can give You the best prices, that's how I got my d90 - it was around 5% cheaper than the best online price."

Good to know adamz but that has absolutely nothing to do with my point. I specifically said looking for information. Not knowing what you want. That's what this was about to begin with.

sorry gentoo - indeed I misunderstood Your last post; indeed the best info You can get is from local stores, and not from the big chain-stores, however if You know what You want chain-stores with their promotions can be an option.